SANTA CLARA — NVIDIA has unveiled its new DRIVE AI Systems Inspection Lab, now accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), marking a major step in ensuring the safety and compliance of autonomous vehicle systems. This lab will play a critical role in helping automotive partners navigate the evolving standards of autonomous vehicle safety, particularly in the areas of functional safety, cybersecurity, and AI integration.
The lab’s primary focus is on inspecting automotive software and systems built on the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform, verifying that they meet the stringent automotive industry standards. These include functional safety requirements such as ISO 26262, SOTIF (ISO 21448), cybersecurity (ISO 21434), and specific UN-R regulations, as well as AI functional safety standards (ISO PAS 8800 and ISO/IEC TR 5469).
Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at NVIDIA, highlighted the significance of the lab’s launch: “By becoming accredited by ANAB, we can offer a comprehensive inspection plan that integrates functional safety, cybersecurity, and AI. This will provide global automotive partners with the necessary tools to ensure their autonomous technologies meet the highest industry standards.”
R. Douglas Leonard Jr., executive director of ANAB, also praised the initiative, stating, “NVIDIA’s extensive evaluation demonstrates compliance with internationally recognized standards, helping ensure DRIVE ecosystem partners achieve the highest levels of safety in autonomous vehicle systems, cybersecurity, and AI.”
The lab builds on NVIDIA’s ongoing safety collaborations with Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover, and its inaugural partners include Continental and Sony SSS-America. Both companies expressed excitement about the lab’s potential. Nobert Hammerschmidt of Continental said, “We look forward to deepening our collaboration with NVIDIA through this new lab to further improve the safety of autonomous driving systems.” Marius Evensen of Sony SSS-America added, “We are eager to work alongside NVIDIA’s lab to ensure the highest safety standards are met for self-driving vehicles.”
Riccardo Mariani, NVIDIA’s head of industry safety, pointed out the challenges of integrating AI-based systems, particularly in the context of autonomous vehicles. “With the DRIVE AI Systems Inspection Lab, we can ensure that our partners’ products are correctly integrated with our safety and cybersecurity standards,” he said.
The lab is now open to all NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform partners, with plans to expand its services to cover more automotive and robotics products and add testing capabilities. This move complements the work of independent third-party certification bodies like TĂśV SĂśD, TĂśV Rheinland, and exida, and vehicle certification agencies such as VCA and KBA.
NVIDIA’s recent safety certifications bolster the lab’s credibility, with TÜV SÜD granting an ISO 21434 Cybersecurity Process certification to NVIDIA’s automotive platform. Additionally, the company’s DriveOS 6.0 operating system has achieved conformance with ISO 26262 ASIL D standards, pending final certification. TÜV Rheinland has also assessed the safety of NVIDIA’s DRIVE AV system, confirming the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards in autonomous vehicle technology.
To learn more about NVIDIA’s work in advancing autonomous driving safety, read the NVIDIA Self-Driving Safety Report.
